Greg's Swank Pad Presents: Hi-Fi CHristmas Party

As Many of you know I love and collect Christmas music. Every year I do a christmas comp for friends and family. Please feel free to download and enjoy this years comp. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do putting it together. If you like the songs please support the artists by buying a lossless version on iTunes. Merry Christmas to all and have a great New Year.


Here is the track listing

Andy Williams & Osmond Brothers - Silver Bells (Christmas Special 1965)

Andy Williams is by far my favorite entertainer of Christmas Music! When I heard he was diagnosed with liver cancer it broke my heart. Here is a classic clip from his Christmas Special in 1965 with the Osmond Brothers. Enjoy this great entertainer of my lifetime!

It's The Holiday Season

I love this picture with my favorite Christmas album

of all time, The Andy Williams Christmas Album

(the red one...released in 1963)

As of November 1st, The holiday season starts for me. It's a time I decorate the house full tilt and start listening to christmas music 24/7. With over 16,000 christmas songs it's hard to listen to them all. With each new holiday season I start getting my Christmas compilation cd ready to give out to my good friends and family. This years title will be.......... Ahhh I'll wait a few more days to announce. I will promise you that if you have enjoyed my past comps you will like this one. Lots of fun stuff. In the meantime go out and buy
Michael Buble's Christmas album

This Album is AWESOME and will become a classic! I have always been a MB fan since his early days and knew a christmas album from him would be much anticipated. Buble' released a EP of Christmas songs called "Let It Snow" in 2007 which showed that this great talent would be perfect for a holiday album. Teaming up with the great producer David Foster,  along with Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica, The album was recorded primarily at Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood and The Warehouse Studios in Vancouver. The album includes guest performances by Shania Twain on "White Christmas" and The Puppini Sisters on "Jingle Bells." Bublé also put his unique take on such classics as "Silent Night," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." In addition, a Bublé original "Cold December Night" will be included on Christmas. One of my favorite tunes is a re-worked version of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," In which MB sings it as a ballad. Michael's voice is so smooth that it is perfect for Christmas. I feel as comfortable with him as I do with Bing, Sinatra and Cole. 


So please go over to iTunes and buy this great holiday classic!

RCA COLOR TELEVISION 1961 CLASSIC TV SHOWS & COMMECIALS on DVD at TVDAYS...

I remember when we got our first color TV. It was really cool back then. I saw this and had to post. Boy those 60's were swingin!

More Christmas In July Goodies!

Please head on over to "Santa's Working Overtime" for some great stuff for Christmas In July. One of the things is a Christmas in July playlist through Spotify. If you don't know about it, it's a great online music service that lets you listen to millions of tracks instantly. Check it out

In other news, I am saddened to hear that Falalalala a great christmas blog will be on hiatus for a year as "The King of Jingaling" is taking a much needed rest. Doing a blog is alot of hard work. I know I don't spend as much time as I would like on mine. The forum at Falalalala is still up and running so if you are interested in christmas music head over there.
Here is the link
Falalalala Forum

More Christmas In July

Did you know there are over 15 songs at iTunes about Christmas In July? This month as we celebrate Christmas In July we will look at some of these songs.


Sufjan Stevens released his "Songs For Christmas" in 2006. This eclectic group of carols and original songs were recorded from 2001 to 2006. Most of the songs were recorded off the cuff and some sound as if they were never really finished. But these songs have a quirky flavor that I really like. I have put several songs from this album on my Swank Pad Christmas comps over the last couple of years. So here is Sufjan Stevens "Christmas In July." ENJOY!

Christmas In July

Oh boy it's that time again. Christmas In July! What is it? It is a time to celebrate the half way point to Christmas. Some countries in the northern hemisphere have parties to celebrate Christmas in the summer. With the warm weather many people crave the coolness of winter. Many have parties that include christmas decorations, gift giving and Santa Claus. I also use this time to listen to some of my favorite christmas music. During this month I will be posting some interesting Christmas music for you. Let's start it off with "Christmas In July." 

Hey shouldn't it be Christmas somewhere?

Who Needs Lady Ga Ga When You Can Have Julie London

I've heard alot of people remark about how sexy this or that singer is. The sex kittens of the 60's put all of today's hot female singers to shame. They didn't need fancy costumes, tatoos or funky hair. They just needed a great dress, their looks and their voice. I think that's why I like the old stuff so much. It's pure not artificial. Julie London was not only beautiful she had an incredible voice. Listen to her version of "Cry Me A River"




Here is some background on her from the blog 1950s Unlimited
She was born Julie Peck in Santa Rosa, California, in 1926, to Jack and Josephine Peck, a vaudeville song-and-dance team. The family moved to San Bernardino, California when Julie was 14. She graduated there from Hollywood Professional High School and soon after took a job as a $19-a-week elevator operator in a department store in Hollywood. She sang at night with a band led by the violinist Matty Malneck. Julies lucky star was in her orbit. A chance meeting with talent agent Sue Carol would help start her movie career. The roles she first recieved were minor such as in Jungle Woman in 1944 and Nabongna in 1945, but she quickly gained popularity with movie goers with her performance in The Red House in 1947 with Edward G. Robinson.

Julie singing and acting career was put on hold for a while when she married actor Jack Webb (Remember Dragnet?). Julie was 15 when they met. The two dated off and on until marriage in 1947.
They had two children together both daughters, Stacy (1950) and Alisa (1952). During their relationship, Webb became a great star with the "Dragnet" series. The pressure of stardom and the fact Webb was a self professed workaholic put a strain on the marriage. They ended it after 6 years in 1953. Webb always spoke highly of Julie and they remained friends through out the rest of their life.

I really knew her from TV. "Emergency" was a hit series I loved.
Julie played nurse Dixie McCall during the series run from 1972 to
1977.

She has a number of great albums still in release. I would 
recommend getting "The Very Best of Julie London" from iTunes

Though she never made a christmas album, Julie did record a few 
songs that are classics. Here is one of my favorites, "I'd Like You 
For Christmas."





So here's to you Julie London a true swank pad torch singer. Your music will live forever. Maybe these young american idols can learn a thing or two from you!

Now this is GO-GO

I always thought how interesting dance crazes are. I see country western line dancing and it looks like the old bus stop and the hustle of the 70's. One dance that has never been re-invented is Go-Go. Here is the classic Candy Johnson rippin' it up in the credits of "Beach Party." You gotta dig this!

Sorry I have to do this!

To be on the safe side, I have deleted my music shares. It appears that the music copyright police have been forcing people's blogs to be shut down or deleted due to copyright issues. Most of the music blogs that I follow share music that is no longer available or even re-released. Apparently the group filing all the DMCA claims lately is in the UK, and has no rights whatsoever. Google is so afraid of the lawsuits, that they take anyone's word for it. They just delete the shares no matter who files.  Great blogs like Cheerful Earful, Zip Your Rip, Hooked on Stereophonic have been forced to shut down. My love for music is to turn people on to great music and the artists who make this music. I make no money by sharing the music I love. Hopefully someday things will get better. Stay tuned I might be able to share again. If in the meantime if you are a friend of mine and see something you like email me and let me know, I may be able to help you out. Thanks again for visiting my blog.

We Pardon This Interruption For A Recipe!

Part of "Swank Living" is having great food. For Easter I made prime rib, a first for me. I followed a recipe by Alton Brown and Paula Dean of Food Network fame. It came out incredible. Here is the recipe for all my swanky friends.

FOOLPROOF STANDING RIB ROAST

Adapted from Paula Dean and Alton Brown 

Recipe:

1 (5 Pound) standing rib roast

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Seasoning

1-cup salt

¼-cup black pepper

¼-cup Garlic powder

Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.

Rub/coat the roast with olive oil.

Rub/coat the roast with the seasoning. Make enough to fully cover the roast.

Place the roast on a rack in the pan with rib side down and fatty side up.

Roast for 1 hour.

Turn the oven off – Leave the roast in the oven but do not open the oven door for 3 hours.

About 30 – 45 minutes before serving time, turn the oven to 375 degrees F. and re-heat the roast.

*****Important*****

Do not remove the roast or open the oven door from the time the roast is put in until ready to serve. If you wish to use a remote thermometer, place the probe in the roast prior to cooking.

This recipe results in a roast that is rare. It is recommended that a pot of beef broth be available on the stove warmed to a simmer. Rare servings may be placed in the broth to finish to medium or well done in a short amount of time without drying out the meat.

Sauce Recipe:

1-½-cups of good mayonnaise

3-tablespoons of Dijon mustard

1 ½-tablespoons whole-grain mustard

1-tablespoon prepared horseradish

1/3-cup sour cream

¼-teaspoon kosher salt

Blend all ingredients together in a bowl.

Thanks to Kevin Z. for turning me onto this great recipe.

We now return to regular swank programming.

The Jetson's are really swank!

As a kid growing up I loved the cartoon "The Jetsons". The artwork and futuristic design was one of the defining characteristics that creators Hanna-Barbera infused in the show by an architectural style heavily influenced by the Googie designs of countless commercial buildings and establishments that were popular throughout the 1950s and early 1960s.  Bold angles, colorful signs, plate glass, sweeping cantilevered roofs and pop-culture imagery captured the attention of drivers on adjacent streets. Bowling alleys looked like Tomorrowland.  My father, being an architect loved this kind of architecture. I think it rubbed off on me because I have always liked these buildings. How swank is that?

Seattle Space Needle

TWA FLIGHT CENTER, John F. Kennedy Airport

Design by Eero Saarinen

Even the Googie Signs had the look

Here in Kansas City we have some retro "Jetson's" looking buildings.

Historic TWA Operational Center (now an ad firm) Gotta love the Rocket!

  The Jetson's was also inspired by Disney's "The Magic Highway".

Take a look at this animation and see how similar the look is for the Jetsons.

Most of all I loved the interior design of the Jetson's.  Not only futuristic but very Swanky!

Modern Day Twist 

How about the Moon Bench?

George sat in one of these.

Nice Dining Area

Could use one of these chairs


Our world today may not have the flying car yet, but alot of the design of the Jetson's is here around us. So look around you might have a Spacely's Sprockets near you!


other links to articles about the jetsons and architecture.
Architecture: Are We Ready For The Jetsons?


Building The World Of The Jetsons

Swank retro TV for you

Looking to outfit your own swank pad? I found this great retro HDTV at Wilkerson Furniture. 
It's perfect for anyone wanting that 1960's look. Pretty cool  that you think?

JAI & KAI + 6 (1956) Forgotten Music Of My Youth

Time to get back into the SWANK!!!!

This was one of my parent's albums. As I have posted in earlier posts, as a kid I loved looking at album artwork. As a teen I would buy albums just because their cover art looked cool. I used to go through my parents albums to look at the art. This one always caught my eye even though I don't ever remember hearing it. It's cartoon illustration is what I think attracted me it to it. Now as I listen to it, man can these trombones swing. Now more about the album.


In April 1956, eight of New York's top trombonists joined an all-star rhythm section to record Jay & Kai + 6, an album that has become a must-have for any trombone lover's music library. The historic recording was an expansion of the immensely successful Jay & Kai recordings featuring J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding. 


J.J. Johnson , Kai Winding , Jimmy Cleveland, Eddie Bert, Bob Alexander, Urbie Green - Trombone -
Bart Varsalone, Tom Mitchell - Bass Trombone
Hank Jones - Piano
Milt Hinton, Ray Brown - Bass
Candido Camero - Congas, Bongos
Osie Johnson - Drums

1 - Night In Tunisia
2 - Piece For Two Tromboniums
3 - Rise 'N' Shine
4 - All At Once You Love Her
5 - No Moon At All
6 - Surrey With The Fringe On Top
7 - The Peanut Vendor
8 - You're My Thrill
9 - Jeanne
10 - Four Plus Four
11 - You Don't Know What Love Is
12 - The Continental (You Kiss While You're Dancing)


You may not think a bunch of trombones are for you, but give it a try. You will appreciate the great musicianship and music of this album. This album has the Swank Lounge seal of approval!!

Pleasure (1978) Never Forgotten Music Of My Youth!

Ever heard of Pleasure???????

This band is one of the best bands you have probably never heard of. Best known for its 1979 hit "Glide," Pleasure was a risk-taking, horn driven band that often brought jazz overtones to its funk/soul foundation. Pleasure was formed in Portland, Oregon in the early 70's and was discovered by Wayne Henderson (Jazz Crusaders Fame) who got them signed and produced 4 of it's 6 albums.


When you listen to them they sound like a cross between of Earth, Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang and Sly and the Family Stone. Who stands out in this great band is the bass player Nathaniel Phillips who's bass playing on the song "Glide" is studied and copied to this day. Here is a youtube clip of "Glide" which was a hit for Pleasure in 1979 on the album "Future Now".



On this album "Get To The Feeling" the band plays some serious funk. Here is the first track which has some great horn lines.


"Celebrate The Good Things"







Then the group does some serious Jazz Funk with "No Matter What."





There is a good compilation  of their work over at iTunes So check out this great band.


So It's my Pleasure to introduce you to a killer jazz funk band
"Pleasure."

Auracle-City Slickers (1979) Forgotten Music of My Youth

This is Auracle's 2nd and last album before this very talented band broke up. Of note on this album is the guest playing of Lee Ritenour (guitarist extraordinaire). This album is more commercial sounding than the first, but still very enjoyable to listen to. 
Here is Bombs Away Ballet to give you an idea of the band







Track listing is as follows:

1 Little City Slickers
2 Tied Shoes
3 Honey
4 Bombs Away Ballet
5 City Of Penetrating Light
6 Rotary Andy's Raggedy
7 Sambanana

IF "Waterfall" (1972) Forgotten Music Of My Youth

IF was a great jazz rock band from the UK. I think I bought this album on liking the album cover art plus the back cover photo showed they had two sax players. Gotta love horn players!
Here is some bio from a fan site

In 1969, Melody Maker poll winners Dick Morrissey (saxes and flute) and Terry Smith (guitar) were invited to form a group in the wake of the success of Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago. What they came up with was something quite different and absolutely unique - the jazz more modern, the rock more progressive - it keeps the listener constantly surprised and wondering where the ideas came from. Vital in this was the writing and arranging of Morrissey and fellow reed-man Dave Quincy, who, along with the rest of the band, showed a feel for both jazz and rock that was extremely rare at the time.
Another bio from experts.about.com, with some unique insights:

IF was a Jazz-Rock band formed in Britain in the early 1970s.
History
IF was a seminal jazz-rock band formed in 1969 as Britain's answer to the pioneering US bands Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chicago. The main difference was that IF did not have a trumpet or trombone player and featured two saxes instead. Essentially a live band, true to its strong jazz influences IF was probably the only jazz-rock group, both then and now, to feature solos by all the band members, not just by the lead instruments.
They toured extensively in Europe and the States during the Seventies, performing at all the major venues and festivals (Newport, Reading, Fillmores East & West, Whiskey A-Go-Go, etc.) and shared billings with, among others, Miles Davis, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Leon Russell as well as many of the classic rock bands of the day, such as Cream, Traffic, Yes, Black Sabbath, Grand Funk Railroad, Ten Year's After, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
IF became one of the most highly-acclaimed groups of the Seventies to never quite make the big time. Signed on by Chris Blackwell, an enthusiastic early fan, to Island Records in the UK and by Capitol Records in the US, their first album, IF (1970), entered the charts in both the States (Billboard) and the UK, as well as winning a design award for its cover, and was followed that same year by IF 2, also on Island and Capitol.
The albums IF 3 (1971) and IF 4 "Waterfall" (1972) were accompanied by heavy touring schedules in the States and Europe, especially in Britain and Germany, where the band appeared on TV (BBC's Top of the Pops/Old Grey Whistle Test in the UK and xxx in Germany). Finally, in the summer of 1972, the band had to come off the road in the middle of a US tour when Dick Morrissey was admitted to hospital for major surgery. As a result of the break-up, in 1975 the band members went off to work on other projects




 

Waterfall is a very good album. It's got some very fine playing and a couple of tunes have some time changes that I like. You can hear the Chicago and Blood Sweat and Tears influence, but this band has got more jazz roots to it. It's too bad a lot of bands just fade off to oblivion. This band was good for it's time and it's a good time to listen to them now.


Here is a track to listen to, "The Light Still Shines"

Auracle-Glider (1978) Forgotten Music Of My Youth

In 1978 I met an a great mallet percussionist (Unfortunately with old age I don't recall his name) from Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY, which is one of the great music schools in the country. He told me about a friend of his Steven Rehbein who was a percussion major specializing in mallets who started a band called "Auracle". He told me that the band was made up of some Eastman students that were playing incredible jazz fusion. When I finally saw this album in a record store, I made the connection and bought it.
Boy was I blown away!


For jazz fans you might recognize two names. One is Rick Braun trumpet player who has done many solo albums to his credit as well as play with Rickie Lee Jones, Sade, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Glenn Frey, Natalie Cole, Tom Petty, Crowded House, Phoebe Snow and of course, War. The other is John Serry Jr. An incredible jazz keyboardist.


Rahbein who was the co-founder of the band really shines on this album with his virtuoso mallet playing. This band was way ahead of it's time.  Auracle recorded two albums - both out of print - before disbanding. "Auracle was a lot more adventurous and complicated than the other fusion groups that were working at the time, so that meant we were doomed to failure," Rick Braun said.


I especially love the song "Sleezy Listening" It's got some great time changes in it. This band really burns when they go into the solo sections. The tightness of the band is amazing. I knew I should of gone to Eastman.


Here is the back cover.

At some part I will get back to the swank, but for now it's my jazz fusion days when I dreamed of being a drummer with a group like this.

More Caldera "Caldera" (1976) Forgotten Music From My Youth

I found my other Caldera album!

This is from 1976, and is a killer! Great songs and virtuosity of the musicians!
Produced by Wayne Henderson of the "Crusaders" fame. 
Song Listing:
1) Guanacaste
2) Coastin'
3) Exaltation
4) Synesthesia
5) Out of the Blue
6) El Juguete


You'll love the funky bass groove of "Coastin" The samba's "Exaltation" and "El Juguete" really move with the outstanding drumming of Carlos Vega (of James Taylor fame who died in 1998)
Here is the back cover of the band

Check it out! This is some of the best Jazz-Funk Latin Fusion you will ever hear.

Caldera (1978) Forgotten Music Of My Youth

If you never have heard of Caldera, you are in for a treat if you like unbelievable Latin Jazz/Funk Fusion. These guys are unreal. I don't remember how I got turned on to these guys, I think it might have been the album cover since I used to go into the record store and buy some groups just because I like the album cover.

(from wikipedia)

Members of Caldera, which was led by keyboardist 

Eduardo del Barrio and guitarist Jorge Strunz, came from all over Latin America as well as parts of the United States. While bass player Dean Cortez and saxophonist Steve Tavaglione were US born, other members were born in Costa Rica (Strunz), Argentina (del Barrio), Cuba (drummer Alex Acuna) and Brazil (percussionist Mike "Baiano" Azevedo). In 1976, Caldera signed with Capitol and recorded its self-titled debut album, which was followed by Sky Islands in 1977, Time and Chance in 1978, and Dreamer in 1979. The four albums (only the first of which have been reissued on CD) did not sell, and the band called it quits in 1979.

However, most of Caldera's members kept busy long after its breakup. Strunz went on to form the guitar duo Strunz & Farah with Iranian/Persian guitarist Ardeshir Farah, while del Barrio worked with artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Stan Getz and Dianne Reeves throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

What stands out is the virtuosity of the players. The fast furious riffs played by the whole band will amaze you. Drummers will enjoy Alex Acuna's fine playing.

Song Listing is as follows

1) The Arousing

2) Reviviscence

3) Mosaico

4) Magewind

5) Crosscountry

6) Passages

7) Dreamborne

8) Shanti

9) Horizon's End

Caldera is:

Jorge Strunz- Guitars

Eduardo del Barrio -Keyborads

Steve Tavaglione- Flute and Saxes

Mike Azevedo- Congas and Percussion

Gregg Lee- Bass

Hector Andrade-Timbales, congas and Percussion

Guest Musician's

Alex Acuna-Drums

Roberto Da Silva-Drums on Shanti

Luis Conte- Percussion on Horizon's End

Akim Robert Davis Bata on Horizon's End

Larry Dunn- Keyborads on Shanti

George del Barrio Electric Piano on Crosscountry and acoustic

piano on Magewind

Charles Faris-Digital Aquasonic Modulator on Horizon's End

Diane Reeves-Background Vocals

I forgot how good this album is! Give it a listen you will be blown away.